Judge orders former Edwards aide to turn over sex tape

PITTSBORO — A judge has found former John Edwards aide Andrew Young and his wife, Cheri, in contempt of court for not turning over a sex tape featuring the former senator and his mistress, Rielle Hunter.

The Youngs appeared Friday morning at a Chatham County courthouse to answer a claim that they should return a sex tape featuring the former senator.

The Youngs said after the hearing that they never had any intent of distributing the tape or showing it publicly. They said they have no problem with turning the materials over to the court to be sealed until the civil case over possession is resolved.

The tape "of a personal nature" is in a safety deposit box in Atlanta, Ga. Other materials are being held by a lawyer in Washington on a laptop in Raleigh.

The judge ordered all of the materials turned over to the court by Wednesday at 2 p.m. At that time, there will be a hearing in Hillsborough to determine whether the Youngs have complied.

Until then, the Youngs are in contempt of court. The judge chose not to have the couple arrested but reminded them that he could place them in custody at any time.

The legal challenge was brought by Hunter, who says Young has no right to family photographs and the tape. Young has said he has rejected many offers to sell the tape, which he said he found after it had been discarded. Young said he has kept it to help prove his account of how he helped Edwards cover up his affair with Hunter.

Young's attorney's argued that since the tape isn't in Orange County, it wasn't subject to a temporary restraining order won by Hunter seeking its return.

In his tell-all book released last week, Young described finding the discarded sex tape while packing boxes in the Governor's Club home where Hunter lived with Young's family for a time. Young claimed paternity of the child in an attempt to hide the affair of his boss.